Winter Melon Soup

Winter melon soup is a popular Chinese recipe during dinner. There are plenty of health benefits one will get from a pot of warm, delicious slow-cooked winter melon soup. Winter melon soup is best enjoyed hot!

Ingredients

Background

Winter melon soup is one of the most popular Chinese soups. Slow cooked Chinese soups are known to be very nutritious. Good recipe to try out especially for those who are health conscious. Have this bowl of soup as it is or have it to accompany a typical Southeast Asian meal.

Benefits of winter melon soup

Winter melon is very nutritious according to traditional Chinese medicine. It is by nature used to help cool down. Winter melon is also meant to be good for the bladder, lungs large intestine and small intestine. Hence, it helps to reduce phlegm or improve urinary problems. Also, it is also low in calories.

What does winter melon taste like?

Winter melon is very neutral in taste. Therefore, it depends on the other ingredients which are cooked along with it. Winter melon absorbs and enhances the flavours of other ingredients well.

How to peel winter melon?

Remove the seeds of winter melon, Using a peeler or knife, remove the skin of winter melon because it is thick and hard due to its waxy surface. Even after cooking, the skin will still remain tough.

Substitute for pork in winter melon soup

Just like any other Chinese soup, you may substitute pork with chicken or anchovies. I especially like this soup cooked with pork, though. The sweetness from the carrots and honey date makes this soup even more yummy.

Using slow cooker

In this video, I allowed the soup to boil before reducing the heat to let it simmers for 1.5 hours. However, cooking soups using the slow cooker makes it even easier. It is recommended to cook the soup for 6-8 hours on low heat to allow the vegetables to slowly release their nutrients. Otherwise, cook at high heat for 3-4 hours. It's that simple.